Refrigerator car



Sept 16, 1941- c. D. BoNsALL l 2,256,377

REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Dec. 1l, 1959 3 Sheets--Sheetv l Sept. 16, 1941.c. D. BoNsALL REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Dc.

- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L Il Sept. 16, 1941.

c. D. BoNsALL REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Dec. 1l 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet I5f/mrmjmb [nue/Livr.- v 7a/flaw. 13o/mil' Patented Sept. 16, 1941 misas??REFRIGERATOR CAR Charles D. Bonsall, Chicago, Ill., assigner, by

mesne assignments, to Standard Railway Devices Company, a corporation ofDelaware Application December 11, 1939, Serial No. 308,535

23 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishablecommodities at a predetermined temperature. The essential features of arefrigerator car are an insulated body to prevent or retard ingress ofheat during warm weather and egress of heat during cold weather and acooling means and a heating means to-be used during warm and coldWeather respectively.

This invention applies particularly to cars in which the cooling means,preferably' containers for water ice, eutectic ice, brine or dry ice,are disposed immediately below the roof of the car. The lading issupported in spaced relation to the floor by a foraminous rack. Flues,preferably associated with the side walls of the car, communicatebetween the cooling means and the space under the iioor rack to providea path for the circulation of air. The path is from the cooling meansdownwardly through the aforementioned ues, through the space under thefloor rack, upwardly through the lading compartment thereby cooling thelading, and finally to the cooling means from where the cycle isrepeated.

An object of the invention is to provide a car which is very efficientlyinsulated. The insulation used in refrigerator cars is commonly of apliable type provided in blanket form and is secured to the farframework by cleats which compress the insulation considerably, therebyreduc-v I provide a coning the insulating value thereof. struction inwhich the insulation is compressed but a small amount and the insulatingefficiency is reduced a correspondingly small amount.

Another object is to use horizontal outer sheathing boards so that thenailing strips therefor may be vertical and aligned with the loadsupporting frame members of the car. By this arrangement it is possibleto balance the wall in an insulating sense by providing substantiallyequal heat conduction through each portion of the wall.

Another object is to compensate for the decrease in insulation due tothe compression of the insulation blanket by wrapping the non-compressedportion of the insulating blanket around the sleats, thereby filling upthe voids caused by compression of said blanket.

Another object is to provide a solidly supported gutter to receiveliquid flowing from the side Wall flues and to make provision for takingcare of the natural variations which occur during the assembly of thegutter and the floor in the car.

A further object is to provide a truss-like Wall structure in which thediagonal braces of the truss are disposed within the wall in such a waythat they do not interfere with the air circulation is concerned.

Another object is to provide baiiies within the refrigerant containerfor the reinforcement thereof and to retard surging of the refrigeranttherein due to service movements of the car. A further object is toflare the sides of the hatch frame outwardly and downwardly so as topermit easy loading of the refrigerant over the tops of the baiiies andinto the remote ends of the container.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description by referring to the accompanyingdrawlngs.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 with certain parts of theroof supporting carlines being omitted in Fig. 2, for clarification.

Fig. Bris a longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 to show theposition of the diagonal of a refrigerator side wall braces.

Fig. 4 is a section of the floor taken on line 1 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 isa section through the roof and refrigerant container asindicated by the line 5--5 in Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 6 is a. section through the side wall on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view similar to a portion of Fig. 1 and showing amodified form of gutter.

The general parts ofthe refrigerator car shown are insulated roof 2,side wall 3, floor 4, hatch 5, refrigerant container 6, side wall fiue1, foraminous floor rack 8 and space 9 between rack 8 and iioor 4. Arefrigerant container 6 is positioned directly below the roof 2andadjacent the side wall 3. A drip pan I2 is provided below thecontainer 6 and a partition I4 is secured in an upstanding position atthe edge of the drip pan I2. The drip pan I2 and partition I4 cooperatewith the roof 2 and side wall 3 to form an enclosing Vstructure IIaround the container 6, an air inlet opening I5 being provided byspacing the partition I4 from the roof 2. An air discharge opening I 'Iwhich leads to the flue 'I is formed by spacing the drip pan I2' fromthe wall 3.

Air cirulation is as follows: Air in the lading compartment I8 is warmedby contact with the lading and rises to enter the enclosing structurethrough the air inlet opening I5. The air is cooled by contact with therefrigerant container 6 and falls by reason of its greater densitythrough the discharge opening II and flue to the space 9 whence it risesthrough the rack 8 to the lading compartment I8. Cars of this typeusually have a row of refrigerant containers near each wall and directlybelow the roof so that air flowing from the lading compartment flowsbetween the containers disposed on opposite sides of the car.

The upper and lower chords of the side wall 3 are the wooden side plateand side sill 2|, respectively. Metallic angle members 22-23 aresecured, preferably by means of bolts 25, to the plate 20 and sill 2|and metallic side posts 25 extend between and are secured-to the anglemembers 22-23. Wooden fillers 28 are preferably secured to the metallicposts 26. Metallic'flue sheets 29 extend between and are secured to theinner faces of the posts 26, which sheets 29 extend between the sideplate 20 and side sill 2|.

A lining 3|, preferably of wood, is disposed in iiatwise relation to themetallic sheets; said sheets 29 have formed therein voutwardlyprojecting panels 32 extending between plate 29 and sill 2|, therebyforming the side wall flues 'I between the panels 32 and lining 3|.

Spacing members 35-36 are secured by suitable means to both the sideplate 29 and side sill 2| exterior thereof. Substantially Verticalnailing stripsvS'I extend between the spacing members 35--36 in spacedrelation to the side posts 26, the spacing members 35-36 preferablybeing gained out to accommodate the upper and lower ends of the nailingstrips 31. Blocks 39 are preferably provided between the nailing strips37 and the posts 25 midway between the side plate 2S and side sill 2|.sheathing 40, which may be plywood panels or horizontally extendingboards, is secured to the nailing strips 31 and extends from end to endof the car. The space between the sheathing 40 and the panel iiue sheets29 is lled with a blanket type insulation 42. As shown in Fig. 2, thenailing strips 3l are aligned with the side posts 26 and the insulation42 is compressed (4i) but little therebetween. It is intended that thevarious parts of the wall be proportioned so that heat flow from thesheathing 40 through the nailing strips 3l, compressed insulation 44 andposts 26 be substantially equivalent to the heat flow from the sheathingAll through the insulation 42 to the flue 'I. The insulation 42 isseverely compressed (45) only adjacent the blocks 39.

The floor 4 of the car is supported by the spaced apart side sills 2|and by the longitudinally extending floor stringere 5I). A sub-floor 5Iis supported by the stringers and sills 2| and several layers of blanketinsulation 53 rest upon the subfloor 5| and are held in place by cleats54. A member 55 for supporting the gutter 55 is secured to a side sill2|, preferably in a gain 5'! in the sill 2 I. A groove 58 in the uppersurface of the member 55 accommodates a metallic gutter 56. Metallicfloor sheets rest upon the cleats 54, which sheets 60 preferably extendacross the car between the gutters 55, The joints in the upper metallicfloor 6|) may be made as shown in Fig. 4, wherein a transverselyextending channel member 6I is supported by and secured to cleats 54 andthe floor sheets @il have depending flanges S2 which nest in the channel6|. The sheets 6B are preferably welded together and to the channel 6|,thereby securing the floor sheets 60 to the car.

The edge 6l of the gutter 55 adjacent the center of the car has formedthereon an outwardly projecting horizontal flange 68 which overlaps thesteel floor sheet 6l) and is preferably welded thereto. Small variationsin the width of the car during construction thereof, may be compensatedfor by sliding the flange 63 of the gutter 5E over the floor sheet 60until it is in the proper position and then Welding. The side 'I0 of thegutter 56 adjacent the side wall 3 of the car has an upwardly andoutwardly inclined portion Il which underlies the sloping wall 'I2 ofthe flue sheet 29 and is spaced therefrom to form the pocket 'I3 so thatany liquid which seeps through the joint between the liuc sheet 29 andthe portion 'II of the gutter is trapped in the pocket 'I3 and flowsback into the gutter 55. A lip l5 is provided on the portion Il of thegutter to prevent the liquid in the pocket 'I3 splashing into theinsulation. With such an arrangement, Huck rivets, selftapping screws orother such means, may be used to secure the gutter 55 to the flue sheet29.

The roof 2 is supported by carlines 80 extending across the car andsecured to the side plates 23 by the clips 8|. The ceiling 82 and thehatch frames 83 are supported by the carlines 80, whereas the outsidemetallic roof 85 is substantially self-supporting and comprises aplurality of panel sheets 86 extending between the side plates 20 andhaving their adjacent edges flanged upwardly and projecting intoinverted channelshaped caps 88. The hatch frames 83 have outer lips 89flared downwardly and outwardly so that the upwardly projecting hatchflanges 90 of the roof sheets may be inserted thereover and forceddownwardly to provide a tight fit prior to welding.

Carlines 92 for supporting the refrigerant containersG comprise channelswith the webs 93 vertical. Ihe containers 6 and brackets S4 forsupporting the containers 6 are substantially as disclosed in myco-pending application Serial No. 286,138, filed July 24, 1939.

Upstanding baflles |00 are preferably provided within vthe container 6extending both lengthwise (ll) and crosswise (|02) to retard surging ofthe refrigerant within the container. Such baffles are shown inco-pending application by Vinton E.

Sisson, Serial No. 244,535, led December 8, 1938. I provide a hatchframe 83 preferably with the crosswise sides |63 thereof flareddownwardly and outwardly away from the crosswise baffles |62 to providea large clearance between the baffles |62 and the hatch frame sides |63so that refrigerant may be loaded through said clearance to the ends |64of the container l6.

The side wall 3 of the car functions asa truss in which the upper andlower chords are the side plate 22 and side sill angles 23 respectively.The diagonal braces II are secured to the angles 22--25, as shown inFig. 3, in such a way that the braces ||IV are in tension andconsequently may be relatively thin straps. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2the diagonal braces IID are substantially in the plane of the outer legsIII of the Vertical posts 25, which plane is substantially flush withthe outer surface 2 ofthe panel 32 of the flue sheet 29. Inthis positionthe braces I||l do not restrict the now of air through the flues 'I anddo not materially increase the thickness f the wall 3. Y

Fig. 7 shows a modied form of gutter IIS intended to compensate forvariations in the widthv of the steel floor 6U due to temperaturechanges within the car. The outer edge I I'I of the gutter I I6 is daredupwardly and outwardly, as isv theleg I I8 of the clip I I9 whichsupports the gutter I I6. With this arrangement the iloor sheets 60 mayexpand and contract a considerable amount transversely of the carwithout causing any buckling in the iloor sheets of the car, therelative movement being taken up by deflection of the edge III of thegutter II6 and leg IIS of the clip IIS.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the cleat IZ which is secured either to theside sill 2I or the spacing member 36, or both, compresses (IZB) theinsulation 42 between the cleat |25 and the sill 2l or member SG. Thiscompressed insulation IZS has very little insulating value and inconventional designs of refrigerator car is a source of considerableheat leakage into or out of the car. In

my design, I leave the end |28 of the insulation blanket d2 free anduncompressed and wrap it entirely around the cleat I in such a way thatevery part of the wall is protected by uncompressed insulation.

'I'he method of supporting the refrigerant containers is also disclosedin my co-pending application Serial No. 286,138, filed July 24, 1939.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of theinvention, though it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as itis obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of theclaims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having side sill and side plate, vertical postsextending between and secured to said sill and plate, vertical nailingstrips spaced outwardly from said posts in substantially the sametransverse Avertical plane therewith, means to secure the upper andlower ends of said nailing strips to said plate and sill, respectively,sheathing secured to said nailing strips, lining secured to the innersides of said posts, means forming a flue adjacent said lining andextending substantially between said posts, and insulation between saidsheathing and said flue and between said nailing strips and said posts.

2. In a refrigerator car having wooden side sill and side plate,metallic members secured to the upper and lower parts thereof,respectively, vertical posts extending between and secured to saidmetallic members, said posts comprising metallic members and woodenstrips, vertical nailing strips spaced outwardly from said posts insubstantially the same transverse vertical plane therewith, means tosecure the upper and lower ends of said nailing strips to said plate andsill, respectively, sheathing secured to said nailing strips, liningsecured to the inner sides of said posts, means forming a ue adjacentsaid lining and extending substantially between said posts, andinsulation between said sheathing and said ilue and between said nailingstrips and said posts.

3. In a refrigerator car having side sill and side plate, vertical postsextending between and secured to said sill and plate, spacing piecessecured to said sill and plate, vertical nailing strips extendingbetween and secured to said spacing pieces in substantially the sametransverseY plane with said posts and in spaced relation thereto,sheathing secured to said nailing strips, lining secured to the innersides of said posts, means forming a iiue adjacent said lining andextending substantially between said posts, and insulation between saidsheathing and said llue and between said nailing strips and said posts.

4. In a refrigerator car having side sill and side plate, vertical postsextending between and secured to said sill and plate, Vertical nailingstrips spaced outwardly from said posts in substantially the sametransverse Vertical plane therewith, means to secure the upper and lowerends of said nailing strips to said plate and sill, respectively,sheathing comprising plywood panels secured to said nailing strips,lining secured to the inner sides of said posts, means forming a flueadjacent said lining and extending substantially between said posts, andinsulation between said sheathing and said flue and between saidnailingstrips and said posts.

5. In a refrigerator car having side sill and side plate, vertical postsextending between and secured to said sill and plate, vertical nailingstrips spaced outwardly from said posts in substantially the sametransverse vertical plane therewith, means to secure the upper and lowerends of said nailing strips to said plate and sill, respectively,sheathing comprising horizontally extending boards secured to saidnailing strips, lining secured to the inner sides of said posts, meansforming a ilue adjacent said lining and extending substantially betweensaid posts, and insulation between said sheathing and said ilue andbetween said nailing strips and said posts. v

6. In a refrigerator car having side sill and side plate, vertical postsextending between and secured to said sill and plate, vertical nailingstrips spaced outwardly from said posts in substantially the sametransverse vertical plane therewith, means to secure the upper and lowerends of said nailing strips to said plate and sill, respectively,sheathing secured to said nailing strips, lining secured to the innersides of said posts, means forming a flue adjacent said lining andextending substantially between said posts, said last mentioned meanscomprising a metallic sheet disposed between said lining and said postsand having panels projecting away from said lining, and insulationbetween said sheathing and said ilue and between said nailing strips andsaid posts.

7. In a refrigerator car wall, upper and lower chords, spaced apartvertical posts extending between and secured thereto, a lining securedto the inner sides of said posts, sheathing exterior of said posts inspaced relation to said lining, a ilue between said posts having itsinner face in latwise relation to said lining, insulation between saidsheathing and said flue, and a diagonal brace extending between andsecured to said chords substantially in flatwise relation with the outerwall of said nue.

8. In a refrigerator car wall, upper and lower chords, spaced apartvertical posts extending between and secured thereto, a lining securedto the inner sides of said posts, sheathing exterior of said posts inspaced relation to said lining, a ilue between said posts having itsinner face in flatwise relation to said lining, said chords havingvertical legs substantially in the plane of the Vouter face of saidflue, insulation between said sheathing and said flue, and a diagonalbrace extending between and secured to said legs.

9. In a refrigerator car wall, upper and lower chords, spaced apartvertical posts extending between and secured thereto, a lining securedto the inner sides of said posts, sheathing exterior of said posts inspaced relation to said lining, a flue between said posts having itsinner face in fiatwise relation to said lining, insulation between saidsheathing and said flue, and a diagonal brace comprising a flat strapextending between and secured to said chords substantially in flatwiserelation with the outer wall of said flue, the elements of said wallbeing arranged so that said brace has induced therein a tensile stress.

10. In a refrigerator car, a sill, vertical frame members secured tosaid sill, a flue sheet secured to said frame members, a supportingmember secured to said sill, a groove in the upper surface of saidsupporting member, a metallic floor sheet having one edge resting onsaid supporting member adjacent said groove, a metallic gutter nestingin said groove having one edge lapping said edge of the floor sheet andthe opposite edge secured to said flue sheet.

11. In a refrigerator car, a sill, vertical frame members secured tosaid sill, a flue sheet secured to said frame members, a supportingmember secured to said sill, a groove in the upper surface of saidsupporting member, a metallic oor sheet having one edge resting on saidsupporting member adjacent said groove, a metallic gutter nesting insaid groove having one edge secured to said edge of the floor sheet andthe opposite edge secured intermittently in overlapping relation to saidflue sheet, the portion of said opposite edge above the overlappingportion being spaced from said flue sheet for the purpose specified.

12. In a refrigerator car, a sill, vertical frame members secured tosaid sill, a ilue sheet secured to said frame members, a supportingmember secured to said sill, a groove in the upper surface of saidsupporting member, a metallic floor sheet having one edge resting onsaid supporting member adjacent said groove,A a metallic gutter nestingin said groove having one edge secured to said edge of the floor sheetand the opposite edge secured to said flue sheet, said opposite edgebeing ilared upwardly and outwardly to provide flexibility for expansionof said floor sheets.

13. In a refrigerator car, a sill, vertical frame members secured tosaid sill, a flue sheet secured to said frame members, a metallic guttersupported by said sill, a metallic floor sheet having an edge secured toan edge of said gutter, the opposite edge of said gutter being securedto said ilue sheet, said opposite edge being flared upwardly andoutwardly to provide flexibility for expansion of said floor sheets.

14. In a refrigerator car, a frame member, a layer of pliable insulationadjacent said frame member in flatwise relation thereto, a cleat securedto said frame member thereby compressing a portion of insulationtherebetween with an uncompressed edge portion extending therebeyond,said edge portion being wrapped around said cleat to substantially meetsaid insulation thereby providing substantially uncompressed insulationadjacent'said cleat.

15. In a refrigerator car wall comprising a sheathing, aframe'gneinberhaving a part spaced apart from said sheathing, a-layer ofpliable in- Y sulation disposed adjacent -said'sheathing in flat- Wiserelation thereto" an'dghavi'ng a portion disposed between said part andsaid sheathing, and a cleat secured through said portion of saidinsulation to said part of said frame member thereby compressing saidinsulation adjacent said cleat, another portion of said insulation beingwrapped around said cleat and disposed between said cleat and saidsheathing to provide substantially uncompressed insulation adjacent saidcleat.

16. In a refrigerator car wall comprising a sheathing, a frame memberhaving a part spaced apart from said sheathing and a portion adjacentthereto, a layer of pliable insulation disposed adjacent said sheathingin flatwise relation thereto and having a portion disposed between saidpart and said sheathing, and a cleat secured through said portion ofsaid insulation to said -part and said portion of said frame memberthereby compressing said insulation adjacent said cleat, another portionof said insulation being wrapped around said cleat and disposed betweensaid cleat and said sheathing to provide substantially uncompressedinsulation adjacent said cleat.

1T. Ina refrigerator car having side sill and side plate, vertical postsextending between and secured to said sill and plate, vertical nailingstrips spaced outwardly from said posts in substantially the sametransverse vertical plane therewith, means to secure the upper and lowerends of said nailing strips to said plate and sill, respectively,sheathing secured to said nailing strips, lining secured to the innersides of said posts, means forming a flue adjacent said lining andextending substantially between said posts, insulation between saidsheathing and said nue and between said nailing strips and said posts,and a cleat arranged to secure said insulation to said sill, a part ofsaid insulation being compressed between said cleat and said sill andanother part wrapped around said cleat and interposed between saidsheathing and said cleat.

18. In a refrigerator car having a wall comprising upper and lowermetallic chord memi bers, metallic posts extending therebetween andsecured thereto, insulating elements secured to said upper and lowermembers respectively and extending outwardly therebeyond, sheathingextending between and secured to said elements in spaced relation tosaid posts, insulation between said sheathing and said posts, and meansforming a vertically extending flue carried by said posts inwardly ofsaid insulation.

19. In a refrigerator car having a wall cornprising upper and lowermetallic chord members, metallic posts extending therebetween andsecured thereto, wooden elements secured to said upper and lower membersthereabove and therebelow respectively and extending outwardlytherebeyond, sheath-ing extending between and secured to said elementsin spaced relation to said posts, insulation between said sheathing andsaid posts, and means forming a vertically extending flue carried bysaid posts inwardly of said insulation.

20. In a refrigerator car having a wall comprising upper and lowermetallic chord members, metallic posts extending therebetween andsecured thereto, insulatingelements secured to said upper and lowermembers respectively and extending outwardly therebeyond, sheathingextending between and secured to said elements in spaced relation tosaid posts, insulation between said sheathing and said posts, meansforming a vertically extending flue carried byy saidk posts inwardly ofsaid insulation, spaced apart carlines supported at their ends by saidposts, and a refrigerant container carried by said carlines.

21. In a refrigerator car having a wall comprsing upper and lowermetallic chord members, metallic posts extending therebetween andsecured thereto, insulating elements secured to said upper and lowermembers respectively and eX- tending outwardly therebeyond, sheathingeX- tending between and secured to said elements in spaced relation tosaid posts, insulation between said sheathing and said posts, spacedapart carlines supported at their ends by said posts, and a refrigerantcontainer carried by saidcarlines.

22. In a railway refrigerator car, a longitudinally extending gutterassociated with the floor of the car and a ue associated with a sidewall of the car arranged to conduct liquid from the upper part of thecar to said gutter, said flue being enclosed at least partially by asheet having formed therein an outwardly projecting panel including asloping wall disposed adjacent said gutter, said gutter formed at leastin part by a sheet having a part extending upwardly in overlappingrelation with a part of said iirst mentioned sheet and beingintermittently secured thereto, the

c sheet which forms a part of said gutter having a portion above theoverlapped parts disposed in spaced relation to said sloping wall toform a pocket, whereby said pocket traps liquid passing between saidoverlapped parts.

23. In a railway refrigerator car, a longitudinally extending gutterassociated with the iioor of the car and a ue associated with a sidewall of the car arranged to conduct liquid from the upper part of thecar to said gutter, said flue being enclosed at least partially by asheet, said gutter formed at least in part by a sheet having a partextending upwardly in overlapping relation with a partof said rstmentioned sheet and being intermittently secured thereto, the sheetwhich forms a part of said gutter having a portion above the overlappedparts disposed in spaced relation to a portion of said first mentionedsheet to form a pocket, whereby said pocket traps liquid Vpassingbetween said overlapped parts.

CHARLES D. BONSALL.

